Storm Hawks: Deception
by Riakui
Summary: There are a few OC's but the story is like a series... Think of each chapter as an episode... Enter the Black Dragons and the Wind Raiders... one family, two dreams, and a traitor among them all... *hint: read the title...* Aerrow x OC / Piper x OC
1. Black Myst

**Chapter One: Black Myst**

_**Log Entry**__: We've traveled into an unknown area. None of the charts I have have this area on them, so we thought we'd go exploring. Know what we found? Cyclonians!! I'm starting to think that they command the area. The Talons are here, so that must mean that they control these skies. What surprised me the most, though, was that they came out of nowhere! Now, we're in trouble!_

Flying around on his Air Skimmer III, he shot down two more Talons. "Peice of cake!" Turing his attention back to the battle, he wound up dodging two flyers, while, in the process, nearly fell off. Junko then came around. "Hey, wanna see who can take out more?"

"Ha ha! Yeah! You're on Finn!" Junko flew off, tossing one pilot off of his skimmer.

The Condor circled the battle with Piper and Stork on board. "Can you get any closer!?"

"Any closer, and we'll be targeted!" He veered away from the battle, avoiding two shots that were fired off from an energy sword that was equipped with a Blazer Crystal. "Mmm... Soon we'll all be dead..." The Condor took two hits, which damaged the left engine slightly.

Back out in the skies, Aerrow was battling against the Dark Ace once again. They had matched strengths and skills. "Why can't you just go away!?"

"Why can't you just fall to Cyclonia!?" The Dark Ace was blocking Aerrow's strike, holding off the Atmosian's attack. "Aerrow... Can't you see that Cyclonia will be victorious no matter what you do? You'll fail! All of Atmos will fail!!!" He lowered his sword, back away by taking a few steps. "Master Cyclonis has the perfect plan... and it all starts with the destruction of the Storm Hawks!" He made another strike, but to dodge it, he jumped off of his enemy's skimmer onto his own.

"I'll never let that happen!!" He flew back to the condor, noticing that all of the other Talons had been defeated.

"I'll have my day..." He let Aerrow go, but released one more energy burst from his sword, which hit the engine of Aerrow's skimmer, causing it to fly out of control and go down. Besides damaging the skimmer, the bolt also clipped him, causing a small, but painful wound. "Good luck... You'll be needing it..." He watched as Aerrow went spiraling down, flying off back to his master after a few seconds.

"Nyahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...!! C'mon girl... pull up, PULL UP!!!" As hard as he tried, his skimmer couldn't be tamed, and before he realized it, he'd flown into a cloud, and was coming up on a terra faster than he thought he would.

"Aerrow!!" The rest of the Storm Hawks watched as he fell from the sky. Finn was worrying like never before, Junko was speechless, Radarr couldn't bear to watch, and Stork said nothing. Piper seemed to have tears in her eyes. "Stork, take us down!"

"But those clouds are too thick! It'll be zero viz..."

"We have to risk it!! Aerrow's down there!!" She was thinking about everything that could've happened during the crash. "He could be hurt badly! Just get us down there, Stork!!" She grabbed a chart of the area, trying to pinpoint where the leader of the Storm Hawks might've landed. "That isn't possible..."

Both Finn and Junko watched her as she tried to find the terra, but nothing was bringing any light to the situation. "What's wrong?"

"There aren't any terras in the area...! If these charts are still good... then..." She didn't want to think about it.

----- Terra Draconis: One Hour After The Battle -----

The crash site was quite small for the size of the skimmer. It was actually still in one peice, but it was incapable of flying at the current moment. The engines were still terribly damaged, and would most likely need to be replaced, but the main body was still in tact. Aerrow, however, had been thrown from his ride and pounded into a tree on the side where the small cut was, making things about his small injury worse.

Sitting up, he tried to look at the area in an attempt to analyze his surroundings. His vision was a little blurry, but it was clear enough that he could see the surrounding trees and bushes. "Aw... Next time, I have watch my back better... " His head turned to the left. One of the bushes was rustling, forcing him to be on guard. He reached for one of his twin sabres.

"Take it easy... You're injury will only get worse if you strain yourself." The voice was a woman's, but she was hidden.

Aerrow looked around, trying to spot her. "Agh... Where are you? Who are you!?"

"You should be resting..." A purplish-blue crystal was visible. "Sleep."

The young leader gasped. "A hypnosi..." He fell asleep.

The woman walked over to him, looking over his entire body, and the wreckage. "So young...and already a Sky Knight... He looks as old as I was when I earned my title..." She saw the cut, which was now starting to bruise. "Hm... this doesn't look too bad... Probably exhausted from the crash..." She hoisted him onto her skimmer, driving away from the wreck.

----- The Condor: Four Hours After Aerrow Was Declared M.I.A. -----

_**Log Entry**__: Aerrow's skimmer was damaged in the Cyclonian assault, and he's now missing. I wanted to go look for him, but the other disagreed. Shortly after we lost visuals of him, we heard an explosion. I don't want to think that he's hurt...or worse, but... The explosion was loud, and there are no signs of a terra anywhere near here. The chances of him being ok are small, but I want to believe that he's ok. We'll find him... I know we will. _

Piper was alone in her room, trying to create some sort of tracking crystal that could find her missing friend... In her hands, she had four crystals :a cloaking crystal, an enhancer crystal that they had retrieved from their last mission to Cyclonia, a sheild crystal, and a raw crystal. Forcing their powers together in the raw crystal... a small explosion had occured, but the crystals still had their own powers. "Not again..." She was worried. More worried than any of the other members of the team.

Outside, Radarr and Finn were listening in, trying to figure out what she was doing. Meanwhile on the bridge, Junko was curious about what Stork thought.

"I say we just forget him... There was no chance that he survived a fall into the wastelands!" He faced Junko and his eyes became nothing but small slits in his face. "He's doomed..."

"Don't say that! He's your friend too, isn't he?"

Stork didn't have a dignified answer, so he stayed silent, docking the ship on a small terra. It was getting dark, and they finally gave in, knowing that they wouldn't find their leader and friend in the darkness...

----- Terra Draconis: Two Days Later -----

He opened his eyes, only to see four walls surrounding him. He sat up, his side tingling with a very small amount of pain. His armor had been removed, as well as his weapons. He looked at where he had been cut, seeing a small bandage covering it as well as the bruise. "How'd I get here?" The door behind him slid open, revealing a woman who had black and red hair, deep blue eyes, and was wearing a black top, short-sleeved jacket, pants, and boots, and was carrying a tray of food and a few other things. "YOU!!! Who are you? How'd I get here? And... Where is here, exactly?" He had calmed down, and was looking around the room.

"Calm down..." She set the tray down on the ground, and sat down beside it. "You've been asleep for the past two days... My name is Mystir... But my friends called me Myst...You can relax... This is Terra Draconis... and this terra is within the Atmos." She noticed that he was looking at the band on her left arm, which bore her squad symbol. "This? It's the symbol of my squadron... Tell me your name."

He was cautious, but cooperated. She had the upper hand, and he knew it. "Aerrow...of the Storm Hawks."

The sign of shock flowed over her face. "The...Storm...Hawks...? But I thought..." She was remembering something of some importance. "Nevermind... It's...nothing." She turned back to him. "Just out of my own curiosity... How old are you? You're barely a teenager or an adult...just a kid."

"I'm fourteen... why?"

"The youngest Sky Knight...hm..." She sighed, handing him something that was shaped like a log. "Eat... you'll feel better afterwards." She was in deep throught, remembering something about her past. "You know, I was made a Sky Knight when I was fourteen as well... My parents wanted me to become some kind of artist, but I was never good at anything except fighting... So I became a Sky Knight."

"Does you're whole squadron live here?" He stood, leaning against the wall.

"You could say that if you wanted to." There was a loud roaring coming from the east of their position. It startled her. "That must be Saelin..."

"Who?" He was really curious now. He didn't trust her, either. Things just weren't falling into place yet. "Hey, Myst?" She focused her attention on him at his request. "My skimmer... It was damaged... Was it salvageable?"

"C'mon! Follow me!" She led him down the hallway and through two doors, arriving at a garage of sorts. Inside, there were three skimmers, and a carrier. Aerrow was amazed at the size of the carrier, and didn't even care about the skimmers or the man who was inside the garage and working on his skimmer.

"Woah... This thing is huge. It must be... twice the size of the Condor!" Apparently, it was mesmerizing. It made Myst laugh.

"Heh heh. Glad you like her... She's my pride and joy... the Falcon."

"Don't you mean MY pride and joy? I'm the one who flies her." The man who was working on Aerrow's skimmer spoke up. He had long silver hair that was tied in a ponytail at the neck and silver eyes. He was wearing red armor and clothing, while a large sword was clinging to his back. "Who's the new kid? Another lone wolf?"

"No. He crashed. Why else would his ride have been damaged like that?" She turned back to Aerrow. "Aerrow, this is Saelin. He pilots the Falcon on special occasions. He also handles anything that has a mechanical problem...like your ride." She stepped away, revealing his repaired Air Skimmer III Ultra... She chuckled, letting him near it. "You owe him a lot of thanks. If Saelin hadn't repaired it, it'd still be a pile of rubble. I just hope that it can fly."

Aerrow wanted to take it out for a test drive, but both Saelin and Myst protested. She said that he needed to rest, and he said that he still had to make a few adjustments. "Fine... How about the afternoon? Can I take her out then?"

"If Saelin's done." She walked off, leaving him alone with the silver haired warrior. "Play nice with each other."

Saelin looked at Aerrow, and Aerrow lookead at Saelin. Neither of them knew what to think of each other. "So, when can I take her out for a spin?"

"Give me an hour. I'll be done fixing her up by then." He returned to his task. "Myst told you to get some rest, so go. Your ride won't be going anywhere, so don't worry about it." He went back to work.

"How long have you known Myst? Are both of you in the same squad?" Aerrow wanted to know more about his...what's the right word...? Captors, or rescuers?

"About three months after the Black Dragons were...layed to rest... She saved me from an explosion while I was trying to infiltrate the base where my former comrades were rumored to have been spotted at." He switched out some kind of part for another, and continued to work on the skimmer. "My squad was called the Wind Raiders, but when they joined Cyclonia, I left and became a solo operative. But ever since Myst saved me, I've joined with her and we now work as partners." He wiped a few beads of sweat from his forehead. "I shouldn't be telling you this." He set down his wrench and looked over his work. "There... Done."

Myst ran in, throwing the door open. "Saelin, we have a problem!"

"What is it?"

"Cyclonians, closing fast!" She picked up a lance, a bow, ten paralyzer stone arrows, along with a frost crystal, a striker crystal, and two blazer crystals for her lance.

"Should we take the Falcon?" He picked up his sword and fitted it with a blocking crystal. He got onto his skimmer, waiting for her response.

"Yeah! Let's go!" She looked at Aerrow. "You coming or what!?" She got onto her skimmer, driving it onto the Falcon

"Where are my weapons and armor?"

"I'll show you!!" She ran off of the carrier and out of the room. "Everything of yours is in there! Hurry!" She ran back to the hangar and got on board. Aerrow followed within a minute, driving his ride onto the ship. "Time to go." She turned to Saelin, who was at the helm. "Take us up! We have to defend this place at all costs!"

"You got it!"

----- Aboard The Condor -----

Once again, the Cyclonians were going on the offensive, trying to reclaim the airspace. Two ships were closing in on the Condor, and the situation was even worse since Aerrow was still missing. A battle would soon ensue.

"We got Cyclonians closing in on all sides...!" Stork, as paranoid as ever, didn't want to fly into danger, but what choice did he have. Piper was in command, and she declared that they would fight.

"Finn, Junko, get on the guns and take them out! Stork, keep us in the sky at all costs!" Despite the fact that Aerrow was still missing, she was confident in her team's abilities.

"They're closing in!"

"FIRE!"

Stork took a close look at the radar, which was picking up another ship, which emerged from thick cloud cover. "I don't know who that is, but they're starting to close in!!" There was a woman's voice over the radio.

"_Attention, Airship Fleet Class Condor, this is Mystir, Sky Knight of the Black Dragons of Draconis. The ship you see is mine, the Destroyer Class Falcon. We're willing to help you take the Cyclonians out of the sky!Do you understand, over?"_

"We read you loud and clear!! Let's go!" Piper responded.

_"Recieved. We're sending out two riders now... Let's take them out!"_

The communication ceased, but two riders appeared from the clouds, taking off from the Falcon with weapons in hand. Piper had ordered Finn and Junko to head out as well, and the four knights, followed by two cruisers. They were ready to fight. No Talons had launched from their ships, and before any more blasts were fired off, the Cyclonians had turned their tails and started to fly away, retreating.

The Falcon flew ahead of the Condor, guiding the Storm Hawks to Terra Draconis. The sun had finally begun to set by the time they reached the terra. Setting down, they all got off of their ships to exchange hellos and tears.

Myst was the first one off of her ship, and was followed by Saelin and Aerrow, who ran back to his squad and was hugged by a teary Piper. Saelin looked away, not saying a single thing.

"I thought something bad might've happened to you!" She was literally crying, overjoyed at seeing him unharmed. "I thought that you might've died!! Why didn't you contact us!?" Finn, Junko, Stork and Radarr kept their distance from Myst, Saelin, and the sad, yet happy duo. Aerrow remained silent, not even whispering a single word to her or the others.

Radarr was slowly moving toward his best friend, curious about what to think.

"Piper?" He tried to release her grip, and was sucessful, but she was still crying. "I'm sorry I didn't contact you guys..." He looked at Radarr. "Good to see you, too, Radarr..." He let Radarr climb onto his shoulder. "I missed you too." Looking at Finn, Junko and Stork, he wanted to say soemthing, but nothing came out when he opened his mouth.

"Aerrow?" Myst had a solemn look on her face. "Can we talk for a minute on the Falcon?"

He nodded, following her and leaving his squadron outside. "What's going on?"

"After this...once you leave this terra...you and your squadron won't be welcome here. If you return...I will shoot the Storm Hawks down." Her voice had nothing but a sorrow-filled tone. "I'm sorry, but this is how it has to be."

"Why?" He didn't like the thought of it. "What's all this about?"

"I've lost so much... Much more than you could ever know..." She looked away, turning her back to him. "Six months ago, my squadron was killed and it was all my fault. I can't risk the same thing with all of you, not even Saelin." Tears were starting to form in her eyes, and her voice began to crack as she spoke. "I'm sorry...but I can never see a member of the Storm Hawks ever again. I'm not saying I want death...because no matter how hard I try, I can't seem to move on... The Black Dragons meant everything to me...and now... I can't let you and the Storm Hawks become part of my life." She turned around, nearly screaming at him as she cried. "Go! Leave this place and never come back!"

He was confused. "But I--"

"No!" She drew her lance. "If I have to, I will use force! Just go." She watched him as he left. "Just go..." she whispered. Heading to the bridge to watch them leave, she cried. Every friend that she'd made since that fateful day, she'd walked away from. Saelin came up behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Why do you turn your friends away?" He whispered into her ear. He hugged her, trying to dry her tears and get her to stop crying.

"Because I have to... You don't know what it's like! The Black Dragons were killed because of my flaws!!! I can't get close to anyone, not even you!" She tried to slap him, but he caught her wrist. "Even though we're family, I can't let something like this happen!!" She continued to cry, falling to the floor on her knees, drowing herself in her own tears and sorrow. "Why me? Why did it have to be me, Faristataka? Why am I the one who has to bear the burden?"

Saelin walked away from her, heading back outside the Falcon. "Nite, sis."

----- Aboard The Condor -----

_**Log Entry**__: Well, Aerrow's back, and I couldn't be happier... Thinking I would never see him again distracted me... But enough worrying. Although, when he returned from talking to Myst, the only survivor of the famous Black Dragons, he said that we were no longer welcome near terra Draconis. Her threats sounded real enough, so we plan on avoiding it for a while. In the mean time, we plan on taking a break on Tropica for some well-deserved R&R. At least Aerrow's back. I was starting to get tired of being in charge... _

"There...done."

"It's good to be back..." He watched the others as they carried out thei duties. "And to think I was gone for two days..." He sighed and then smiled.

"Piper thought you were dead. After we heard some kind of explosion, she started to cr--" He was whacked on the head with something hard and heavy. "Ow!! That was my head!"

"You deserved it!"

Aerrow laughed as he watched them fight. "It's really good to be back..." He looked at his helmsman. "Stork, set a course for Tropica!"

"Already done..."


	2. Old Friends and Decaying Bonds

**Chapter Two: New Friends and Decaying Bonds**

_**Log Entry: **__We had originally planned on heading to Tropica for some rest and relaxation, but something came up. Starling came aboard and asked for Aerrow's help...again, for another infiltration mission. Nothing's left for us to do, but wait until both of them return. I'm curious though, about what's going on. It's been two days since we found Aerrow on terra Draconis, which we've been banned from, and ever since, he hasn't been the same. I have this bad feeling, as if something's wrong. I guess I'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out, just like everyone else. However, I don't think that I'm the only one who senses something. Radarr's been actin strange lately, and so is Junko. Stork and Finn, seem the same, but... I don't know. Like I said before, I'll just have to wait and see._

Aerrow and Starling arrived back on the Condor arguing about something that seemed hardly important. "If you had just done as I'd said, we would've been able to sneak in and get through without alerting anyone!"

"Yeah? Well, if you had just followed my orders, we could've gone through the mission without any problems whatsoever!" Starling revved her ride. "Sometimes, I don't know why I ask for your help! You always think that you're right, and think everyone else is wrong! You're so stubborn!"

"And you have such a thick skull!! Try listening to someone other than youself for once!"

Starling scoffed and flew away, leaving a grumpy Storm Hawk to be with his squadron. "Don't ask." He walked right past each of them, heading to his room to rest and calm down.

"Um... Aerrow..."

"I need some time alone. We'll talk later." He left the hangar, leaving a confused squadron even more confused. Over the intercom, Stork had supposedly seen some type of Cyclonian carrier, and needed someone to confirm it. Finn offered to go check things out with Radarr.

"Let's go, Radarr." He climbed onto his skimmer with Radarr sitting on his shoulder. "Let's ride!"

Junko headed back to the bridge, while Piper went to check on Aerrow. She knocked on the door, politely, seeing if he wanted to talk.

"Yeah?"

"Can I come in?" The door slid open and she walked in, seeing him laying on his bed. "Are you ok? You've been acting strange lately. You're starting to worry me and the others..." She was concerned and confused. "What happened on your mission?"

"We nearly got caught..." He stared at the ceiling and took a deep breath. "I triggered an alarm. After it was disarmed, Starling was spotted by Snipe... We barely got away, but the mission was a failure." He rolled over so that he was on his side. "I failed my mission... I never fail missions."

"It was only one time... It's ok." Something had hit the ship, causing it to lose control for a second. "Stork!?"

"It was just Finn and Radarr..." He was surprisingly calm. "They crashed into the Condor..." The intercom shut off, leaving the two of them to sort things out. Finn walked in with Radarr, breaking the silence.

"I think Stork's vision might be goin' on him. We didn't see a thing out there."

"Good... Let's continue our course to Tropica... We all deserve it." He looked at both Piper and Finn's faces. They were smilng and walked out, decifing to let him be alone. Radarr was still in the room, beginning to thing that something was going on. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

----- Tropica: One Hour Later -----

The Condor had set down at the resort, and as soon as they did, both Finn and Junko ran to the shore to go surfing. Stork decided to stay on the ship since his paranoia was kicking in. Piper went to check on Aerrow. Ever since she'd last talked to him in his room, he hadn't come out or said anything.

"Stork? Have you seen Aerrow at all? I can't find him." She wasn't worried, but she was curious.

"No... He's probably with Finn and Junko..." He was doing something to the Condor. What that something was, Piper had no idea.

Outside, Finn was trying to catch a few rays, along with some girls. Any time he saw someone he liked... He'd ask them a question, along with using his fingers and saying _chica-cha!_ Junko, however, was having fun building sandcastles. He was amusing himself with a small crab as well, trying to play with it.

----- Terra Draconis -----

Minding her own buisness, Myst had decided to go out on a perimeter patrol by herself. She didn't want to be near anyone at the moment, especially not her brother. "First my squadron... Then Saelin's... what's going to be next...? The Storm Hawks?" She was looking at the ground below as she passed over it, but something that she saw out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Whatever it was, it was moving fast. "What is that?" A small amount of her hair was blocking her vision, but she drew her lance and started to fire off energy bursts at the object. Whatever or whoever it was, it was fast, and excellent at dodging. "Rider...?" The closer they came to each other, the more she could make out. "Storm Hawks!" They passed by each other at a speed that was near supersonic. Myst turned her skimmer around to follow whichever one it was, determined to shoot them down. "What did I say about coming back!?"

"You said not to!" He was shouting.

"Exactly!" She was finally able to make out who it was. "Why did you come back here, Aerrow!?" Their weapons clashed, giving off a small burst of energy.

"I wanted to talk!" Their weapons clashed again, and a third time. "I need to get some things set straight, get them cleared up!" They passed each other again, but their weapons didn't collide. Instead, Aerrow disarmed himself, while Myst put away hers.

"Fine! Follow me!" She led him to a small clearing. Hoping off of her skimmer, she was scowling at him. "What are you doing here?"

He was still sitting on his skimmer, along with Radarr. Aerrow had a determined look on his face. "It's about what happened two days ago. I don't want to just forget about you, Saelin, or this place." His voice was riddled with force. "We're friends aren't we?"

"I only helped you beacuse you needed it. Nothing else." She looked around. "Does your squad know that you're here?" There was nothing but silence. After five minutes she still hadn't gotten an answer. "I'll take that as a no." The sense of anger flowed through her without compromise. Aerrow was starting to sense this. "It's not that I don't want to be friends... I just can't have any."

"Why?" He remained calm, but Radarr was clinging to him as hard as he could. "Why can't you have friends?"

"Every single friend that I've ever had is dead." She was disgusted. "Go home... We're done." She turned away from him, getting back onto her skimmer. "Sorry, but that's how it has to be."

He fired off a blast from one of his blades. "Hold it right there!" He had caught her attention. "Tell me what happened."

"It was a mission to Cyclonia. The actual terra... As the mission planner, I had to stay on board..." She was hesitant to go on, but knew that she wouldn't get any privacy unless she told him. "So I stayed on the Falcon. That was when the explosion occured. I had miscalculated an angle by three degrees... They were all killed because of my error, there you know. Now go back to wherever it is that you came from, and never come back!" She drove away, leaving him confused in the clearing. She didn't escort him out or anything.

He thought about the situation, as well as what could happen. "Radarr, I want you to fly back to the Condor. I'm gonna do some recon..." Radarr was reluctant. The trees surrounding them moved the wind, making a rustling sound. "I'll be ok. Go." They looked each other in the eyes, revealing the trust that they had in each other. Radarr flew away, while Aerrow started his trek through the thick foliage and scenery. He could see Myst as she made another pass overhead, but since he was hiding in the trees, she couldn't see him. The only thing that she could see, was his skimmer as it flew away...

"Why can't he just let it go?" She sighed, thinking about their friendship. "I like him, and the others, but...can I have friends again...? Without them dying?"

----- Cyclonia: Master Cyclonis' Chamber -----

The Dark Ace had just walked in, claiming that he had found a crystal mine. "Master, I propose that we go in and take what we can, or at least occupy the terra."

"What kind of crystals are there?" She continued to work on her new crystal.

"I've seen some of them... Cloners, Energizers, I think there were even a few Frost Crystals there as well..." He was witing for orders. It had been a week since his last _worthwhile _mission. He had enjoyed fighting against Aerrow two days ago, believeing that he could no longer fight.

"Very well. Go and take it over.. Take Snipe with you as well. He needs some more field time." She continued to work, not acknowledging his presence with a glance.

"I have more news, as well." Master Cyclonis raised her head in response to the Dark Ace's statement. "It's about the Storm Hawks."

"Go on..."

"Aerrow and I met in battle two days ago. He went missing... Most likely dead by now..." He laughed. "The Storm Hawks will hardly prove to be a challenge without him."

"Hm... Perhaps. Now go." She had replaced an Enhancer crystal with another one, continuing her work. "I'm more worried about the girl...Piper. She could be the new problem if what you say is true... But go... You have a mission to do, and I expect you to complete it." just as he was about to leave, she stopped him. "Hold on... I want you to take The Wind Raiders with you instead of Snipe... They deserve a chance..."

"Of course, Master." He left the room, bowing as he exited. "With Aerrow gone, things will go much more smoothly. Ah ha... Ah ha ha ha ha ha!!!"

----- COMERCIAL BREAK!!!! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! -----

Okay, so what do you think so far? btw, I don't think I ever mentioned Myst's age or Saelin's... She's 16, and he's 18. They are brother and sister, but were members of different squadrons... there... okay, time to get back to the show!!! Oh, and so you don't get too confused later on, she has a...condition... that's the way to describe it! Yeah...

----- BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! COMERCIAL BREAK OVER!!! BACK TO THE SHOW! -----

"Finn!!! Junko!!!" She was running around the beach, with many eyes staring at her as she tried to find her friends. "Finn! Where are you?"

"Hey, calm down and chill!" He was lying on his back in the sun with a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. She ripped off his sunglasses. "Hey! C'mon! Why'd ya do that!?" He sat up, trying to get his shades back.

"Because, Finn, we just got a distress call from Terra Rahe! They're being attacked by Cyclonians!" Her hands were at her sides and she was scowling at him. "We have to help them!"

"Isn't Terra Rex near there? Let the Rex Guardians handle it..." He continued to lay on the sandy beach, not even blinking an eye. Piper didn't respond with any words. "Does this mean we have to leave?" He looked at Piper, who hadn't moved at all. "Alright..." He grabbed his surfboard and got back onto the Condor. Junko followed, not raising a single complaint.

_**Log Entry: **__We've recieved a distress call from Terra Rahe, a small terra that's about a mile away from Terra Rex. Tropica isn't exactly close, but we were apparently the squadron that was closest, other than the Rex Guardians. Finn didn't want to go, but no one else raised any topics at all. So, without any opposition, we've layed out a course for Terra Rahe._

_Something strange is going on, too. Aerrow went AWAL...again. What was even stranger, was that Radarr returned piloting Aerrow's skimmer. Something is definately going on, and I want to find out what. As soon as he shows up, I'm going to question him. Chances are good that he'll try to change the subject, but I have to find out. It's starting to worry me. Ever since the battle against the Cyclonians, and Myst's threats, he hasn't been the same... I just hope that he'll be ok..._

----- Terra Draconis: 30 Minutes After Aerrow's Unwelcomed Landing -----

As she walked back to her hidden home, Aerrow followed her, keeping a close distance while being as stealthy as he could. Every now and then, he would end up rustling a bush, causing her attention to shift to where the sound came from, nearly exposing himself.

Climbing up three steps, she opened the door and stepped inside. She turned around to close it, but Myst had noticed Aerrow standing by a tree. "How are you still here? I saw your skimmer leave!"

He came out of hiding, revealing himself. "That was actually Radarr... He took the skimmer back to the Condor."

"So you tricked me?" He voice wasn't strained. Instead, it was calm and relaxed. She sighed. "Why are you still here? What do you want from me? What do I have that is important to you?" Her voice now had small a small tone of annoyance to it.

"You."

Myst grunted, offended at his comment. "Good-bye Aerrow." She slammed the door in his face to get rid of him.

"I need your help! The Storm Hawks need your help!" His voice was muffled, but it still got through. "Why won't you listen!?"

She slammed the door open, filled with anger. "Why do you want my help so badly? What do I mean to you and the Storm Hawks?" She stood in the doorway, leaning against the door jam with her arms crossed. She wasn't in a good mood. "I work solo, and that's that." She was waiting for him to walk away, hoping that he would finally give in. She sighed. "Look, I'll make you a deal. Beat me in a duel. If you win, I'll join the Storm Hawks and help you out. If I win, I'll continue to work as a solo operative, and you leave me completely alone..." She drew her lance.and charged it with two blue strikers. "Do we have a deal?"

Aerrow looked around and drew both of his lightning blades. "You've got a deal." He did two full backflips, getting some distance between himself and her. He had no idea about what she was capable of, but knew she was strong. He released two energy bolts from his weapons, both of them getting deflected by her lance. She stuck it in the ground and went after him with with her bare hands.

"You prefer hand-to-hand combat don't you?" She punched twice with her left, kicked once with her right, jumped off to the left and then made an attempt to knock him down by going for his legs. He dodged by pulling off another backflip, landing on both feet. "Then show me what you can do in close-quarters combat!"

As he jumped back, he fired off three more bolts, one of them hitting her in the left shoulder, right between the arm socket and her neck, throwing her a small distance away onto her back. She was motionless... "Heh! There... That good enough for you?" He recieved no response, nor did she move any. "Myst? Myst, are you...ok?" He walked up to her, kneeling down beside her to see what was wrong. She moaned as her rolled her over. "Are you injured?"

She sat up with his help, not using her left arm at all... "I'll be fine... I should've been able to dodge that...and yet, it still got me..." She coughed twice. "You're better than I thought... I surrender. I'll help you, and become a part of the Storm Hawks. But... there are a few things I have to do before I commit myself to that. Will you wait?" She placed her right hand where the blast had hit her. It twinged with pain, but she was still alive.

He helped her up, heading inside the small shelter and then heading back out. "This way." She let Aerrow drive her skimmer, sitting behind him as he drove. As he drove, he was shocked at how fast her skimmer was, which made it harder for him to listen to Myst as she guided him, letting him know when to turn left, right, or stop. Through her guidance and his driving, they arrived at a small cave. Once going into it a certain distance, they arrived at a small circular pool. The water of it was beautiful and pristine, flowing lightly, adhearing to the pull of both the sun and moon. She got off, holding a large circular item in her hands. "This was the place where the very first Black Dragons formed their squadron." She looked at the shield. "This shield has been passed down through the ages, and my family. But this is where the Black Dragons of Terra Draconis end... We are no more." She set the sheild in the pool, letting it sink down to the depths. "Forgive me, Faristataka."

"Who's that?"

"She was the leader of the very first Black Dragons, as well as my ancestor..." She watched as the shield fell out of sight. "I've been told by many people that I resemble her..."

"Your one too...? So that must be why..." Myst turned to him as he pondered his theories. She let him be, not asking questions, but falling to her knees moments later, in prayer.

"I'm done here." She turned back to him, standing. "Should we go?" She was smiling, taking a cheerier tone than normal.

"Yeah..." He go onto the skimmer. "Want me to fly?" He watched as she got on behind him. "I guess that that's a yes." He thought about their skirmish. "Are you sure that you're ok? Your left arm looks numb."

"Just drive and take us to the condor." She smiled. "Don't worry about it. It'll be fine by tomorrow, I promise." She hoped that her words would ease his concerns. Once they were above the terra, Myst removed the band that was on her arm. "I am a Black Dragon no more..."


	3. The Chapter With Many Titles

**Chapter Three: Raiding Party (or the chapter that had many alternate titles)**

_**Log Entry: **__Junko, Finn, and Radarr headed out and met with the Rex Guardians in a hopeful attempt to stop the Cyclonian invasion of Terra Rahe, a small mining terra. There was something different about their attack though. They were more coordianted than I've ever seen! Something about their skill level was different. They're too good to be Talons. Perhaps they're the Wind Raiders, Saelin's old squadron... He did say that they were good. I just hope that Aerrow shows up soon... We could really use his help!_

Finn had shot down three standard Cyclonian warriors, while Junko had gotten two. The Rex Guardians, however, had all crashed. Their rides had been destroyed, and were no longer any use to anyone, not even themselves.

"Aw man!" He had shot his last crossbow bolt. "I'm out! Junko! I need more ammo! I'm headin' back to the Condor!" He flew back towards the ship as fast as he could, grabbing as much ammo as he could carry. In addition to that, he switched his engine crystals.

Junko had run out of his Turkey Burps by the time that Finn had shown up again, wondering how many more that there were. He was starting to become annoyed, which was unusual for the young wallop.

----- The Falcon and the Air Skimmer IV: Two Miles Away From Terra Rahe -----

Aerrow and Myst had met up with Saelin, who was returning from a mission with the Falcon. He, too, had recieved the distress call, heading toward the coordinates that he was given. "The chances of the Condor being there are good as well. I just hope that we won't run into anything before we get to the Rex Guardians' territory." He looked at Myst. "So you're going to join the Storm Hawks?" Saelin saw the small mark that Aerrow had made during their skirmish. For some reason, he didn't ask, and was extremely calm.

She didn't answer. Instead, she was standing by the long-ranged scanners, trying to spot the Condor or the terras."I've got them..."

Aerrow moved closer to the window, trying to spot them with his eyes. "At least we're getting closer..."

"You know that they'll be wonder where you went...right?" She moved beside him, crossing her arms and sighing. "Is this the right choice for me? Is it really alright with you?" She stared out, her gaze focused on the horizon. As they got closer to the small terra, a virluent battle could be seen. "That's them." She turned her gaze to her brother. "It's time to fight again. Shall we?" She turned to Aerrow.

"I don't have a skimmer."

"You can use mine." Saelin offered, setting up the weapon systems. "It's a Skimmer III, so it's pretty similar to yours. Just don't damage her." He made a sharp turn and opened the hangar doors. "Get going, both of you." Aerrow ran out of the bridge, ready to fight once more, while Saelin had stopped Myst. "You have joined with him, haven't you?" He got no answer. "What about Farisataka? Has she said anything yet? What did you do with the shield?"

"Heh..." She coughed and then turned back to him. "Yes, no, no, and about the shield... I set it in the pool where we swore our oaths after being made official." She left him alone to his thoughts, heading toward the hangar to her skimmer.

----- The Battle For Terra Rahe -----

_**Log Entry: **__The Falcon has become visible on the horizon, as well as two riders who lauched from the on-board hangar. I found it strange, but once we identified the knights as Aerrow and Myst, everything started to make sense. He'd been sneaking off to see her! I'm going to go crazy because of this! I just wish that he had told us about it. The only thing that I really should be worrying about now, though, is the mining terra. I was able to see the symbol on the skimmers of the enemy... Four of them are from the Wind Raiders, while the other six are Cyclonians, led by the Dark Ace yet again... With the Rex Guardians down, the Storm Hawks, a deserter from the Wind Raiders, and the last Black Dragon, are the only ones who can stop them. I just hope that we can do this without losing someone or having someone injured... Last time something like this happened, we nearly lost Aerrow... We have to fight this time, and win. For the people of Atmosia, if not ourselves._

Finn was firing at two of the Talons, damaging at least one of the bi-wings of each. Smoke started to rise from their engines, and they abandonned their skimmers, floating down softly. "Heh! Aw right! Two more down! Whoo!"

Junko had fired three missles from the wings of his skimmer, all to take down one Talon. "Seven more to go!" He saw Finn take out another one, while Aerrow and Myst joined the fight. "Hey! Aerrow's back! With...Myst!" She was shocked to see the last of the Black Dragons travelling with him.

Myst fired three bolts from her lance, taking out one Talon. "I'll help you guys take these wimps out. You go after the Wind Raiders and Dark Ace." She looked at Aerrow, who nodded. "I'll help you out once these guys are gone!"

"Be careful!" He shouted as he flew away, chasing after the one who flew and fought like the leader of the Wind Raiders. "You're all mine..."

All six of the Talon's had been shot down due to the attacks of the Storm Hawks and Myst, but Aerrow was still chasing after the one rider, using every one of his skills to keep up. The Falcon, however, was no longer visible. Saelin had set it down somewhere, and taken one of the spare skimmers that was on board, using it to join the battle. He had gone after the true leader of the Wind Raiders, flying after him while pushing the engine far beyond it's standard limit.

Myst saw him, and she was confused. "He's out for revenge..." Aerrow, Finn, and Junko flew up beside her.

"Huh?" Finn was clueless, not knowing what had happened in the past, or what was going to happen.

"Saelin was once second-in-command of the Wind Raiders before they turned traitors. He left them then." Her voice was filled with doubt and worry. "He might go over the edge this time..." She took a moment to look at each of them, keeping the formation that they were in. "Ready?"

"If the Dark Ace, interferes, he's mine..." Aerrow was determined to bring him down. He looked to the East (his left), only to see that Saelin was chasing after one, and only one of the Wind Raiders. At the time, it seemed that the rest of them had retreated to the terra, while their leader continued to test the sky knights.

"Why did you have to go to Cyclonia!?" He fired off energy bolts at a brown-haired, dark-skinned man. "Nebras!" He was shouting, and his rage had exploded inside of him. "You'll die for betraying the Atmos!" He fired off more bolts.

"It's been a while, Saelin!" He drew what he called his _Wind Blade_, and energy sword that was fitted with a Windstone crystal and a Weather Crystal, which had started a rainstorm, and several tornadoes. "How's your sister? Still suffering?"

"You...!" He didn't have time to finish his sentence, having to veer around one of the tornadoes. "You don't need to know!" He attempted to strike again, but missed. His rage had gone through the roof. The others surrounded him and the Wind Raider.

Nebras, who felt surrounded, (most likely becasue he was), watched the others as they prepared to fight him. "Myst... It's been what, a year? I see that you're still alive...surprisingly..." He looked at the others. "I'm sorry, but I have a terra to conquer... See you down below..." He pulled back on the controls, which changed his skimmer from a bi-wing fighter, to a motorcycle, dropping from the skies. "See you..."

They watched as he fell beneath the clouds, completely out of sight. "I'm not goin' down there..." Finn looked doubtfully at the cloud that Nebras fell into. "Anybody else?" He looked at his friends, who rose no comments. Myst however, was staring at the terra.

"We are going to need a plan...Look." She was pointing at the flag, which now bore the Cyclonian emblem. "Think Piper will be able to come up with anything?" She turned to Aerrow, hoping to get a convincing answer.

"She'll figure out something... All we have do is reclaim the terra, and then, this'll be over..." Aerrow and Myst had gone back to the Falcon to drop off Saelin's skimmer, returning to they're comrades on Myst's ride.

Saelin had flown back to the Falcon, which was headed back to Terra Draconis. As he left, he waved farewell to his sister and then flew off, trying to cool down from his encounter with his worst enemy which was once his best friend. Myst let him go, unhindered. The Storm Hawks, on the other hand, headed to the Condor in the hopes that Piper would be able to come up with a plan that could free the terra from Cyclonia.

----- Aboard the Condor: The Bridge -----

"Okay... I was able to dig up these charts for the terra..." She unrolled a map of Terra Rahe, showing the others where to enter from. "...and was able to come up with a few ways to get in without alerting anyone one were in! Doesn't that sound great!?" She got no answers, only a squad of four men and a new woman sighing and agreeing with her for what looked like the sake of it. "Look, if you enter from above, you'll be spotted and BAM! Taken out of the skies." She was tracing a path with her finger. "Coming in low won't entirely work, either... From what I can gather, they've already set up guard posts at almost every clear spot. The only way to get in, is to sneak in."

Aerrow moved closer to the charts, trying to make better sense of Piper's plan. "How are we going to do that? I don't think that we'll find any uniforms just waiting for us to claim them, and trying to blend in as mechanics won't work. We'll be seen through almost instantly." He crossed his arms.

Myst was watching the sky. "What if we ran silent while using a crystal of some sort?"

"What kind of crystals were you thinking, because that might work...!"

Piper stared at her, but sshe continued to watch the sky. "There's a few... Drizzle, Nimbus, Hypnosis, Paralyzers...Cloaking... We could use one of those to cover our infiltration." She was holding a small purple crystal in her hand.

Stork's paranoia was kicking in once more. "You use a hypnotizer, you'll fall asleep, leaving you...vulnerable... I say we run away, retreat... head back to Tropica..."

They all turned to him. "No."

"Sorry, Stork, but we're fighting once we get a good plan." He turned to Myst, liking her ideas. "There's only one problem with those..." Myst turned her head, and Piper's eyes were set on him. "We don't have any of those crystals on board. Do you have any other ideas?" He got no answer from anyone.

"Chroma Crystals..."

Finn backed away from Piper, along with Junko, Aerrow, and Radarr. "Those things? DUDE!? Last time we came across one a those, Master Cyclonis got on board herself!"

"Exactly. She was able to disguise herself an gain our trust." Piper took one out of her pouch, setting it on the charts. "We can use them to disguise ourselves as Cyclonians! That way, we won't get caught. It's perfect!" She was smiling, and the pitch of her voice was near the screaming level. The others backed away from her. "C'mon guys... It might just be the only thing that'll work..." She sighed. "We have to help the terra somehow..."

Aerrow thought hard about it. "She's right, guys." He took a good long look at the Chroma crystal. "I just hope that this works..."

----- Terra Rahe -----

_**Log Entry: **__We've successfully invaded the new Cyclonian terra, using the chroma crystals that we had on board to disguise ourselves. The only thing that we have to do now is get the Cyclonians out. The worst case scenario is that Aerrow, Finn, Junko, Radarr, and Myst are discovered and we end up having to run away and then come back with a new plan... Hopefully, we'll get it right the first time..._

_Seeing as how Terra Rahe is just a small mining terra, you'd kind of think that that it wouldn't be so heavily guarded... Think again! It hasn't even been a half hour, but it's already been set up as if it was a fortress! It's unbelieveable!_

_Stork had to set the Condor down, though. We couldn't risk getting too close. I just hope that the guys and Myst can pull this off without getting into too much trouble...because if they do, there's no way that we'll be able to fly in and get them out of there... Good luck, guys!_

Finn, Aerrow, and Radarr had taken the position of guarding the west entrance into the mines, while Myst and Junko headed inside, her taking the higher level, while he took the lower. Even inside, patrols were heavy, since there was at least one Cyclonian at every turn.

Myst was fairly deep inside the mines, realizing that they wouldn't be able to accomplish their mission. "Piper, Aerrow, Finn, Radarr, Stork, Junko, I've made it inside as deep as this place goes, but the place is swarming with Cyclonians. We're going to need a larger force than just the seven of us (count'em all if you like... Oo)." The radio was silent. "We're on our way back..."

Taking their skimmers back, which hadn't been disguised in the first place, they headed back to the Condor. Each of them relinquished their crystal, returning to their normal appearance. "Stork... Take us back to Terra Atmosia... The council needs to know what happened... Plus, if we head there, we might be made official at last."

Finn liked the sound of being a member of an official squadron. "Aw yeah! Bring on the ladies!!"

Junko was daydreaming again. "More like bring on the food!" They high-fived each other, laughing and joking around some more.

Piper sighed. "Are you sure that that's a good idea? We went there about ten months ago, and they turned us down just because we were _kids!_ What makes you think that they'll listen this time?" She was disgusted at the thought of it. "I don't think that they'll listen Aerrow..."

"Maybe not, but don't forget... We have Myst with us now..." He looked over to her, noticing that she was goofing off with Finn and Junko. "She's not much older than us, but she's a Sky Knight who was with an official squadron... Maybe this is our chance."

"We don't even know how old she is!"

Myst had overheard, slowly making her way over to them. "I'm 16. Why?"

"We're...uh..." He was slightly embarrased to think about it. "We're not quite...official...eheh..." He ran his right hand through his hair. "Yeah..."

"So?" She had her arms crossed and was leaning up against a railing. "I've heard about some of the stuff you guys have done...and the way that the civilians and other Sky Knights put it, it was pretty impressive..." She laughed, looking away from them. "It doesn't matter if you're official or not... It matters where your heart is."

"I have the terra in view... Where do you want me to set her down?" He looked back at the three of them. His voice was shaky.

"The same mountain as the first time we came here. Everyone ready?" Aerrow looked at the faces of his friends, each of them nodding. "Let's go. Stork, you ride with Piper." He took one more look at his friends. "For the Atmos!"

----- Terra Atmosia: Sky Knight Council -----

The new Storm Hawks stood before the council for a second time, all stating what they did within the group. "Aerrow..." The old man who was the head of the council was trying to remember. "Aerrow...! I remember you. You came here months ago... I ask you this, have you come to be made official again?"

"Yes, sir. I know that the Storm Hawks are young, but we've accomplished so much, and there is now another true Sky Knight among us." Myst stepped forward. "This is Sky Knight Mystir, formerly of the Black Dragons."

"I know who she is..." He looked at her with a stern expression. "You are a member of the Black Dragons K.I.A. and yet, you have changed your allegiance to the Storm Hawks. As a Sky Knight, you are young, but you are also one of the most skilled. Do you wish to be made a member of the Storm Hawks?"

"Of course I do." She returned his gaze by staring at him. "As you said, my squadron is K.I.A., but that won't stop my career as a Sky Knight." She sighed, breaking the eyes contact. "We also wish to be made an official squadron, sir. Two Sky Knights are within this squadron, and I'm positive that you've heard of their accomplishments. The Storm Hawks, as young as we may be, deserve our ranking..." She looked at each of them for at least five seconds. "Sir?"

The council was deciding what to say. Hopefully, Myst's words had been enough to sway them from their previous ruling. The head of the council looked them over, shaking his head. Nobody could make out what they were whispering to one another. The others also shook their heads. "I agree. Sign here, Sky Knights." Both Aerrow and Myst smiled at each other, approaching the oak podium to sign the document.

"No, we won't allow this!" The other members of the council opposed the old man's decision. "They are far too young! "

"They have proven themselves! They deserve what I offer." He shifted his small glasses to a more comfortable position. "I have said my peice, and as head of this council, my word is what holds true." He encouraged them to sign, and once they did, he filed the document. "Congradulations... The Storm Hawks are now official!"

They rejoiced, smiling and laughing, overjoyed at the fact that they were finally an official squadron. Aerrow approached the council again. "There's another reason why we came here, sir." He had sparked the intrest of the council leader. "A small mining terra which lies only a short distance away from Terra Rex was taken over by the Cyclonians. We have already tried to liberate the terra, but the Cyclonian forces are too massive. We request that you send a fleet in to reclaim the terra."

"As small as the terra is, we cannot do as you request. Once the Cyclonians mine the terra of every crystal that is buried there, they will leave." He sat back down in his chair. "Forgive us, Storm Hawks, but we can do nothing." He asked them to leave.

As upset as they were, they left. "So, what now?" Piper was distraught, so she sighed. "We may be official, by they won't do a thing about the terra..."

"No." Myst had gotten onto her skimmer. That's why I say we do a little traveling and round up a few squadrons... We may get lucky." She revved the engine. "So, who's with me?" Aerrow, Radarr climbed onto his part of Aerrow's skimmer, Finn and Junko had gotten onto their skimmers, while Stork was waiting for Piper. "Sorry, but it looks like it's six to one. We're going, whether you want to or not." They flew back to the Condor, with Stork setting a course for Terra Aquanos.

----- The Condor -----

_**Log Entry: **__Well, we've been made an official squadron, but that doesn't help the fact that Terra Rahe is still under occupation... We tried to convince the Sky Knight Council, but they rejected our request. Since that happened, we've made the decision to take matter into our own hands, by going to separate terras and asking different squadrons if they would help us. Stork has the Condor on a course for Terra Aquatos, home of the Neck Deeps. Aerrow headed out on his skimmer with Radarr to Terra Gale, hoping that the Rebel Ducks would repay us for freeing them by helping us liberate another terra... Finn headed out to Terra Saharr with Junko to find the Third Degree Burners, while I returned to Terra Atmosia in hopes that the Red Eagles, minus Carver who is still in prision, would join us. Myst also left, travelling to the newly reclaimed Terra Blizzaris to ask for the help of the Absolute Zeros. She was doubtful that they'd listen, but went anyways... I just hope that all of us are successful._

----- The Sky Side Shanty: Two Days Later -----

_**Log Entry: **__Each of us has returned at the place that was agreed upon, but we weren't exactly happy. Yes, Terras Rex and Rahe are on the other side of the Atmos, but that wasn't the problem. The problem was that we had only gotten two other squadrons to help us. The Rebel Ducks, and the Absolute Zeros. This didn't go as planned, but it might just be enough to free Terra Rahe. We'll prove that we have what it takes, even if it costs us our lives!_

"So, are we all clear on the plan?" Aerrow looked at his allies, including his own squadron. Nobody rose a single issue. "Ok. We come in hard, fast, and low. All members of the squads who have skimmers will go in. Helmsman and navigators, you stay on your carriers and take out what you can from the skies." He turned to Myst. "What about the Falcon? Can we count on it showing up and helping us?"

"Don't worry about it. I called in a favor..." She scoffed. "Saelin owes me a lot, so don't think he'll back out."

"Good." He looked at all of his allies once again. "But before we do anything, one member, preferably the commanders, will head down to Terra Rex and see if the Rex Guardians are ready for another fight. The morer people we have, the stronger a force we have. Who's ready to kick some Cyclonian butt!?" Every squad member raised a hand and cheered. "We leave tomorrow.

----- Later That Night -----

Myst had vanished from the tavern, and was nowhere to be seen. A few other members had disappeared as well, so there was no cause for alarm. Radarr, however, was howling at something. Piper was outside, standing on the deck of the Condor, watching him. "What's up? There's nothing out there..." She was looking in the direction that he was facing. "Radarr?"

"Nah...He's fine." Aerrow placed a hand on Piper's shoulder. "What are you so worried about? With this many Sky Knights, we can't lose!" He was a little too optimistic for her taste. "Don't worry about it, okay?" He left, turning around and heading back to bed to get some sleep. It was late.

Radarr howled again, this time, at a black bird which flew overhead. "Come on, Radarr. It's late, and we'll have a busy day tomorrow."

----- The Next Day: Seven Hours After Leaving The Sky Side Shanty -----

_**Log Entry: **__We only have about another hour of travelling until we reach Terra Rex, and Terra Rahe. Every one of the squads who came to help us is still busy preparing for the battle. We have one more hope too: The Rex Guardians. They most likely won't be able to fight... They were injured pretty badly the last time we tried this... This time has to be it, though. If this isn't successful, we may just meet our end..._

The hour had gone by quickly, and it was time for them to act. In each of the hangars of the carriers, several engines were powering up. Every squad was ready at long last, the last battle for Terra Rahe. Two of the Rex Guardians, one of them Harrier, had shown up. The Falcon, however was still out of sight. Now launching from their carriers, an alarm of the terra had gone off, alerting them to the preemptive strike.

Down on the terra, Snipe was ordering his men to prepare for battle. The Dark Ace had shown up again as well, giving starter orders to the Wind Raiders. "What makes you think you can order us around like this? We're professionals... We know what we do and we're capable of."

"You'll listen to me because Master Cyclonis ordered you to listen to me." He was holding his sword up to Nebras' neck. "Understood?"

"Yes..." He lowered the Dark Ace's sword with his own. "But we'll do things the only way we know... Death." He started to laugh, thinking about Saelin. He was hoping that his former officer would show up, just so that he could kill him, or at least prove that he had made a very big mistake. "Ready to ride?" He looked back at his squadron, seeing them smile and nod. "Good..."

Outside on the visible ground of the terra, standard Talons were shouting and screaming, all to prepare for battle. "It's a raiding party!!!" The Wind Raiders appeared out of a cave, taking to the skies with the Dark Ace and many other soldiers. "Nobody raids anything except for us!" He fired off a shot from his sword at the Talon who stated the comment. "Get on your Switchblade and fight!" The Talon took his words seriously, afraid of him.

The battle had begun, with both sides raging against one another. Most of the Talons had been shot out of the sky about ten minutes into the battle, with the Dark Ace and the Wind Raiders as the leaders of their opposition. Saelin still hadn't shown up with the Falcon, either, which was creating a small problem. The Carrier of the Rebel Ducks had started to smoke from the damage that had been done by the Wind Raiders, while one rider had been shot down.

"Hey!!! Don't continue the party without me!" A man's voice stretched across the skies as he got closer and started to fire off shots at Nebras. "I'll take you down, once and for all!!" They began their battle, which was, yet again, a one-on-one fight. The other continued to fight against the Cyclonians, leaving the two enemies alone. Myst didn't even interfere, but she was busy with three Cyclonians. Pulling off all sorts of barrel rolls, along with several other members of their attack force, she had disabled their skimmers, sending them down the ground of different terras.

After two hours of the battle, all of the Cyclonians had been defeated, minus a select few. The Dark Ace and Aerrow were battling among each other, trying to prove who was better. Saelin's skimmer had been destroyed, but he was continuing his battle on the terra against Nebras. In the skies, however, the rest of the squadrons were left to finish off the remaining members of the Wind Raiders, namely their marksman, Tarin. As soon as she went down, members of the Rebel Ducks, Absolute Zeros, and the two Rex Guardians had returned to their ships and homes, leaving the rest up to the Storm Hawks.

----- Terra Rahe: With Nebras and Saelin -----

"You still fight like you once did..." He raised his weapon to his former second-in-command. "I'm impressed, Saelin. I still wish that you'd come with us." He laughed, keeping his guard up as his opponent made the first strike. Their swords met with a loud clang. "It would have been worth your time."

"Cyclonia is evil." He made another strike, this time losing his sword from the force of the impact. He reached for his dagger, trying to cut his former friend. "I would never side with them!"

Nebras guarded himself without any effort. "But there would have been so much waiting for you...and your sister..." Saelin backed away, fearing that his words were poisonous. "What? Master Cyclonis could have cured your sister's condition... Don't you want her to lead a good life? She can't do that in her current state..." Saelin had made a fast move, releasing Nebras' grip on his sword. "So, you want hand-to hand combat? Very well."

Punches and kickes began flying everywhere, coming from left and right, even behind and above. Saelin was already losing blood due to a puncture wound on his right leg, while Nebras only had a few scratches covering his body, mainly the face.

"I can't keep up." He was analyzing his surroundings carefully.

"What are you trying to do, Saelin? Hide?" He laughed darkly. "Take a good look around you. There's no place that you can use for cover." He walked right up to Saelin and punched him in the stomach. "Your life ends here and now." He drew a small knife and puncture Saeling through two ribs, reaching his heart. He pulled out the knife, wiping off the blood with his fingers. "Told you..."

"Saelin!!" Myst was running toward her brother, followed by the rest of the Storm Hawks. "Saelin!" She fell to her knees once she was beside him. She brushed some of the hair that was covering his face off of it, watching as he slowly died. "Don't go...stay with me... I can still save you..." Tears were leisurely making their way down her face.

"You did this, didn't you!?" Aerrow was ready to fight him, and Finn had his crossbow drawn, ready to fire.

"You can't save him now... He's already dead." Nebras looked at Myst and smirked. "If he had joined Cyclonia, you wouldn't have your condition... As a matter of fact, none of this would've happened!" He shook his head and laughed. "But look at what it's come to..." He turned his attention to the rest of the Storm Hawks and smirked. "Too bad for you. but this is all you'll get today. Take back your mining terra... It's useless to us anyways." He drove off, following the rest of his comrades back to the Cyclonian skies.

Myst was cradling her brother. His breaths were growing shorter each time, and his blood pressure was falling. "Don't leave me!" Tears were now running down her face like a river, creating a pool wherever they hit.

"I'm...so...sorry for...this." He coughed, bringing up a mouthful of blood.

"Don't talk..." She was crying even harder now. None of the others could watch, so they turned away. Piper was crying on Aerrow's shoulder, while he closed his eyes. Finn adn Junko just turned away. "Just don't leave me...don't die." His breaths became even shorter, and his skin was starting to grow cold. A rainstorm had begun.

"Forgive me...Mystir..." His eyes closed, and his breating grew very faint, stopping completely moments after, along with his heartbeat.

"Saelin?" She found that her lungs were tensing up. "Saelin... SAELIN!" Her crying became fierce. "No. No. No, this can't happen! Remember what you promised! You always said that you'd be there!" Her tears were as cold as the rain that fell from the skies. "No! No, no, no, no, NO! Saelin!" She was now crying on his limp body, which was barely warm. Every now and then, she would sniffle, keeping her eyes closed to avoid the truth. Piper had calmed down, and Aerrow had turned around, crouching down beside Myst to comfort her.

"He's gone...Myst. I'm...I'm sorry." He helped her stand with Finn's assisstance, taking her to her room on the Condor, leaving her alone for the rest of the day. Stork had set a course for Draconis, not knowing where to go next.

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Wow... I'm amazed at how depressing the ending is... I never thought I could write anything like that! I actually impressed myself. The next chapter will be happier, that I promise, plus, it'll most likely be a lot shorter... As of the end of this sentence it is 30.8 KB in it's original state, compared to chapter one which was 19.3 KB and chapter two, which was 17.8 KB. WOW! ;


	4. The Condition

**Chapter Three-Point-Five: The Condition **_(written in Myst's P.O.V.)_

_I've never felt so alone before... My parents hated me for the path I chose... My brother is now gone... What's next, the Storm Hawks being defeated and killed? I don't want to think that it'll happen. I don't want to lose my new friends. I just want to believe that it's a dream, a nightmare that I can wake up from...but I won't. It's been two days...and I know that he can't come back._

The others have left me alone in my room aboard the Condor. I think that it was Piper who came by earlier and stated that we had landed on Draconis for the time being. I sighed, coming to a conclusion. I had to head out to the pool in the cave. I was dragging the whole team down, and I couldn't allow that.

It was dark outside, with a full moon shining down on the terra through the thin cloud cover. My sanctuary was dark and dreary, but the small pool of water reflected the moonlight, lighting the small, rocky cavern. My shield was still at the bottom and visible, appearing the same...nothing had really changed. I had finally realized that...

I kept on hearing the same thing over and over again..._drip...drip...drip..._Every three seconds or so, a small drop of water that had formed on the ceiling of the cave would grow heavy and fall into the pool. The sound of it was rhythmic, coaxing me into a subconscious state

_Fire...a warm blazing fire... Different shields were burning within it... The Interceptors...The Screaming Queen and Third Degree Burners...The Absolute Zeros burning besdie the Rex Guardians... Then there was the symbol that represented the Neck Deeps, which was also in flames...along with my own... Next, there was the Red Eagles. That's when I saw it...the shield of the Storm Hawks burning away, becoming nothing but molten metal and ash... There were a few others among them, and I had realized that each of the signs represented a squadron that flew for the Atmos... None of the were Cyclonian, not a single one... _

I had heard a ligh whisper in my ears, which forced me to open my eyes. I saw Aerrow in front of me on one knee. "Are you feeling ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine..." I replied, looking away. "I came here to think, but I guess I fell asleep instead..." I didn't want to tell him about the dream. Maybe I wasn't supposed to tell him anyway. "So what made you come out here?"

"I saw you leave the Condor." He sighed and stood, walking over to the pristine pool and staring into it. "Are you sure that you're feeling ok?"

"I'm sure." I replied, laughing. I crawled over to the pool, dipping my hands into the water and her running them through my hair and placing them on my neck. "I just have a lot on my mind... That's all." I sighed for a second time, thinking about the dream. "Can I trust you with something?" I turned to him, seeing that he nodded. "I had a dream while I was asleep. Shields of the Sky Knights were burning in a flame that couldn't be put out. Nothing from Cyclonia was there..." I stared at my shield. "Nevermind... I think I know what it means." He didn't ask about it.

"If you're sure." He dropped the topic, letting it die. "I do have one question for you though..." He had caught my attention with his statement. "Nebras said that if Saelin had joined with Cycllonia that you would be cured of your _condition._ I know that it isn't my buisness, but as the leader of the Storm Hawks, I have to make sure that everyone in my squadron is in good health."

I chuckled and stood. "I guess that you deserve to know." I placed my right hand between my left shoulder and my neck. "It all started about five or six years ago, when I was ten... My family was attacked by rogues... They stole everything us, they even kidnapped me to get more money from my parents, and since I was raised in Cyclonia, I didn't know what was right or wrong."

"Hold on..." Aerrow interjected. "You were born and raised in _Cyclonia_!?" Shock stretched over his face.

I nodded. "Yes. Getting back to my story, I picked all sorts of fights, and I would lose every single time. But it wasn't until Saelin turned 12 that I realized my illness... He started going to an academy in secret, training to become a Sky Knight. Once he was discovered, he left, and I lost all contact with him until...three months ago. I started to attend the academy shortly after he left. The first signs of it started during my second combat class." I paused for a minute, coughing quite loudly twice. "Sorry... Anyways, what happened was that I was the _best _fighter in the class, so I had to perform a demonstration of some of the easier moves of Sky Fu... I was having trouble catching my breath, even if I was walking. A month later, I had a high fever for three days. Not even Cyclonian doctors could discover what was wrong with me..." I took a few steps back until I was at the wall, and I leaned against it with my arms crossed. "In the same combat class a month after the fever, my heart stopped beating and I could barely breathe. Heh...heh heh... They said I would die if something wasn't done... Exactly one day after the incident, a new crystal had been discovered, a _Life Crystal_, as it was called. They placed one inside of me. It regulates everything inside my body, such as temperature, blood pressure, breathing, you name it, and I guarantee that it controls it."

"So that's why you blacked out for a few seconds during our duel..." I was starting to think that he finally understood the importance of it. "Am I right?" I nodded to him, and he looked away. "I'm sorry to hear about that...You've had a pretty rough life."

"Not as rough as some people." I pushed myself away from the cold stone wall, heading for the exit of the cave. "You coming?"

"Yeah..."

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Ok, so I lied, this isn't exactly a happier _next _chapter, but it isn't exactly a new one either... Remember, this it just chpt 3.5... not 4. 4 is next...understand? Good! C ya then!! Oh yeah! plz R & R!


	5. Kain

**Chapter 4: Kain**

_**Log Entry: **__It's been exactly one week since Saelin's death. The whole team is still upset about it, but Myst is acting like it never happened. It might be her way of coping, I suppose. She's been training with the others a lot as well. I feel so out of place... It's as if I don't know anyone here now. Everything's so different... On another topic, we haven't had anything happen. No missions, no favors, no requests...nothing. It's kinda nice to not be in the skies every now and then, not that I'm saying I don't wanna be! I love the skies, but it's kind of nice... But that doesn't help with Stork's uncontrollable paranoia. Because of him, half of the Condor's parts are currently useless, so were grounded until he finds a way to overcome his paranoia and fix it. Oh well... _

Finn had found himself in a woody area that was filled with several full-grown, tall pine trees, among several other small ones. Small targets had been placed on the trunks and branches, waiting to be shot. He pulled the trigger and fired off two bolts, hitting two targets just off of the center ring. "Aw yeah!" Both of his shots were just a short ditance, about half-a-centimeter off from a bulls-eye.

In a clearing not far from where Finn was, Myst and Aerrow were having another duel, testing each other's integrity during a battle. She had disappeared into the thick foliage, forcing him to raise his guard. He was watching his surroundings closely, stepping in a circle to expand his field of vision. "Where did you go?" A small bush on his right rustled, alerting him.

"Now!" She whispered to herself, leaping out from a tree that his back was facing. He moved out of the way, dodging her attack. "Not bad."

"You're good too. Very stealthy..." He prepared himself.

She laughed. "It was the first thing I learned about being a Sky Knight. The stealthier you are, the better...the longer you'll survive in hostile terrain." She jumped back into the trees, hiding from her enemy. "If stealth is on your side, and you have the potential, you can make it through an enemy terra by yourself, without any help." She fired off three blasts from her lance which shot out of the trees and hit the soil, forming small holes.

"Are you attacking blindly?" He had let down his guard. 

"Nope!" She jumped out of the trees and pinned him to the ground. "I was waiting for you to drop your guard. Looks like it worked." She laughed, sticking her lance into the ground beside his head.

"Ha ha ha..." He mocked, standing up. "I'll give you this. You had a good plan." He disarmed himself, putting away his lightning blades. "You have skill."

"You haven't even seen the best of what I can do." She tugged on her lance to lift it from the solid ground. "I have a lot more tricks up my sleeves... figureatively speaking..." She sighed, sitting on the ground against a tree. "Well, I say that we call it a day. We've been out here for a few hours now doing nothing but this..." Myst picked up a small rock, throwing it into the trees.

"Ow!" Fiann walked through, stumbling. "What was that for? What did I even get hit by?"

Myst giggled. "Oops... Sorry, Finn." Aerrow laughed too, watching as Finn scratched his head where the small rock had hit him. "Sorry about that." She kept apologizing and laughing. It was too funny for her to ignore. 

"Yeah, yeah... Keep laughing! Let's just see if I can hit you!" He threw a rock at her, which she didn't even have to move to dodge it. "NGH! Stay still!" He threw another rock at her, which also missed.

"I am." She laughed again. "I thought you had good aim!" 

Instantly, their radios went off, Piper saying something about recieving a distress call from a kid...

----- Terra Zartacla -----

In a small, dark, dank cell, a small boy with dirty blone hair and green eyes was sitting against the wall. There were Cyclonians patrolling the prision, keeping watch over all of the prisoners. One of the minor wardens walked up to the door to peer inside to see if he was still there. The man huffed, laughing at the boy.

"What do they want with me?" He could now hear a man and a woman speak outside of his cell.

"Is he the one?" The woman asked, her voice dark.

"Heh, course he is... You wouldn't think that we'd make you come out here for nothin' now do ya, Master?" The voice was gruff...a man's voice.

"No...I would expect you to bring him to me." She was disappointed in him. "Which cell?"

The boy sighed. "Master Cyclonis...? She's here?" He whispered to himself. "It can't be..."

"That one, ma'am." He pointed to it, sliding the key into it's respective place. "This is him." The door opened, and both of the Cyclonians stepped in, Master Cyclonis ahead of the warden. "He is the one you want, right?" 

She nodded. "Yesssss..." She nodded, bringing out a crystal of sorts. "What is your name...? How old are you...?"

"Give me one good reason why I should answer you?" He was defensive, not wanting her to come any closer. "I'll never join you! Never!" He didn't answer her questions, making the leader of Cyclonia angry. 

She ordered the warden to stand him up, pulling on the collar of his prision clothing, choking him. "I wasn't asking... I was ordering. Tell me now." He refused, using the crystal to raise him into the air and then let him fall. "Answer me now, boy!" He still refused. "Mr.Moss, go get your whip..."

"Yes ma'am..." He backed away, leaving the cell to retrieve his whip. It was powered by a red crystal of sorts, and was crackling. "I got her..." He cracked the whip once more, instilling the boy with fear. "Want me to whip 'im?"

"No..." She raised her hand in objection. "Leave him be...I'll get what I want eventuall..." She left him and the cell, returning to her airship. "Keep him under close watch..." Those were the last words he heard. 

"I have to escape…: He stared at the door and sighed. "Who knows what they'll do to me next time…?" Mulling over his options, he could hear another prisoner scream, begging the warden not to hurt him. He tried to stand, realizing that a sharp pain had seared up his leg from his ankle, which was slightly swollen, and beginning to turn a slight purple. "Great..." Only one thing was on his mind. "I have to get out..." An iron door slammed shut, and the whip cracked. He sighed. "I just hope that someone got my message..." He picked up a rock that was beside him, throwing it at the wall and letting it roll back to him, repeating the motion over and over, passing his time by.

----- Terra Draconis: Aboard the Falcon -----

Due to the situation, and the location that Piper had traced the call to, the Storm Hawks had taken the larger carrier, hoping that it would give them a slight advantage. Stork, as pesimistic as ever about going back to Zartacla, was taking the long way to avoid everything in sight.

The radio buzzed with static, then a voice came through. "Hello? Is there anyone out there? I need help... I'm being held in Zartacla prison." The voice adn signal were weak, and static was coming through. The voice, which belonged to a boy could still be heard, however. "My name is Kain... Please, if there's anyone out there... Please...Get me out of here..." The radio died again, along with the static.

Myst had whispered the name that they had picked up, saying it to herself over and over again. "I know that name..." She kept thinking. "Kain...Kai..." It hit her. "Kain!" She exclaimed, sighing afterwards. "After all of these years..."

"You know him?" Aerrow inquired, surprised by her response.

She nodded. "Yeah..." Myst sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against one of the walls. "We met during the time when I was sneaking off to the Academy to train. He was a fairly good navigator at the time, and he was only seven." She stared at the ceiling, thinking about him. "He had lost his parents...and he was always shy...scared, even. He never talked unless he was asked a question." Chuckling a bit, she sighed. "I looked after him, and he was best friend at the time. Kain aways followed me around, wanting me to teach him everything that I had been taught." She was thinking about him being held on Zartacla... "It's been seven or eight years now."

Stork had the terra in view. "We're here..." Compared to the last time that the Storm Hawks had done a mission on Zartacla, he seemed to be much clamer. "So what now?" He asked, his left eye twitching.

Piper had prepared a small, but complex plan. Before she could speak, Myst was holding her lance, and had two energy daggerd strapped to her outer thighs. "I'm going in alone." The others raised their objections, except for Stork. "I don't want to hear it!" She slammed the end of the lance on the ground and Stork slid over to see if there was a mark.

"You better not have damaged my ship..." He stared up at her after he examined the floor.

"Whatever..." She looked to the others. Aerrow had a displeased look on his face. "I'm the best qualified out of all of us."

"That may be true, but I've been in there before. I know the layout." His hands were clenched in fists, and his determination spoke out through his deep green eyes.

"I'm going in alone, and that's final!" She would argue to get her own way, no matter what. She was the one who would be going. The group had migrated to the hangar, and the door had been opened. "Besides, I know Cyclonian technology better than any of you, seeing as how I grew up in Cyclonia."

Piper, Finn, Junko, Stork, and Radarr were shocked. Their mouths were hanging open. "YOU GREW UP IN CYCLONIA?"

"Yes... On Terra Varez." She stared blankly at them. "You didn't know?" The five of them shook their heads. "Well, now you do. Anyways, I'm going down there to get Kain out by myself... Any if any of you come..." She climbed onto her skimmer and withdrew her weapon from them "...I will shoot you down. I have to do this alone...For Kain's sake. He trusted me with his life years ago... And I have to make it up to him."

Aerrow placed a hand on her shoulder while the others watched. "Good luck. We'll be close if you need any help or support." He handed her a pulsing green crystal. "For luck... Don't get caught, ok?"

She took the crystal. "Thank you..." She was glad that she'd gotten her way at last. Getting onto her skimmer, she revved the engine, driving off of the tarmac and changing her ride from bike to skimmer, heading down to the prison with uncompromised speed.

----- Zartacla Prison: Cell 83 -----

Kain's ankles was now completely useless. It was completely swollen, and was throbbing with pain. Because of it, he had absolutely no choice but to sit in his dark, dank cell, and wait to be saved. He had thrown his rock a little to hard at the wall and at the wrong angle, which made it bounce out of the cell. Outside, he could hear soldiers marching around. They could also be heard shouting intruder over and over again, hearing all sorts of crashes and tumps afterwards. "What could that be...?"

"Get outta my way!" The voice was a woman's and it had the tone of annoyance flowing with it. "I said get outta my way!" There were more loud crashes, along with the sound of several blasts being shot off from different weapons. "Now... Which cell?"

Kain hobbled his way over to the door, pulling himself up to peer out the small window. "Who's there?"

The woman had heard the voice. "Which cell are you in? I can get you out."

"83... To your right!" He could hear her footsteps get louder, which signaled that she was getting closer. The lock was clicking. "How did you get in? Why'd you even come?"

"I...gah!" She continued to pick the lock. "Almost got it!" The lock clicked again, and the lock had been released. As the door opened, they saw each other and gasped. "Kain...?"

"Mystir..." He laughed, overjoyed to see her face. She crouched down, noticing that his ankles had swollen. "Ow... That happened when Master Cyclonis came by... Will it heal?" She pressed down on the swollen ankle again. "Could you please stop... Ouch! Doing that?"

She hoisted him up, providing support for him as they walked out. "I didn't think that I'd have found you so quickly... How have you been these past few years?"

Kain turned to her, looking at her strangely. "Is this really the time or place?"

"You're right... Sorry." They turned a corner, and then exited out through a hole that Myst had cut in the wall. "Get on, I'll be right behind you." She pointed to her skimmer, sealing the hole by welding with shut with the crystals that were attached to her lance. She climbed onto her skimmer in front of Kain. "Ready to go?"

Kain nodded. "Hey, Myst? Is this an Air Skimmer IV GXL edition?"

"Yeah... Why?" She started the engine, and sped off, driving through the dense bushes. "It's fast enough to get us out of here, so don't worry." She pulled back on the gear and her skimmer shifted from bike mode to glider mode.

"No reason..."

A whip cracked behind them. "Heh heh heh! You ain't gettin' away, boy!" The whip cracked again, and the rotor blades of a heliscooter that were spinning were audible. "Just try and get away! C'mon boys, we got ourselves some escapees!"

Kain looked behind him seeing the warden and several of the other guards flying behind them. "Um... You might want to look behind you Myst."

"You know how to fly this thing?" She looked to Kain, who nodded. "Good!" She jumped off, drawing her crystal-charged blades (think of one that would be between Aerrow's blades and Dark Ace's sword... something like that.). She threw a small oblong board out from her skimmer, and jumped onto it, letting Kain have full control of her skimmer. "Don't get killed!"

Kain saluted to her, heading straight for the Falcon. Myst was working on taking out the warden and the guards. "Sorry, Mr.Moss, but another prisoner will have escaped by the time im done with you!"

"Heh heh heh! Ya hear that boys? That was the sound of the girl wanting to get captured!" He revved, forcing _Bessie_ to a faster limit of speed. "You're done, girl!"

"Not on your life!" She dodged his attacks, sending one more blast at him before she reached the edge of the terra. "See ya later..." She blew him a kiss and winked, sending one more blast at him, just before she landed back on the Falcon.

----- The Falcon -----

_**Log Entry: **__Myst has returned, and was successful with her mission. Kain is now on board the Falcon. He has slight injuries that were sustained durning his time on Zartacla, but Myst has stated that they'll heal. He's explained a bit about why he was captured and imprisoned, but some of the details are vague. We've decided to let him rest for a while... _

_We've plotted a course back to Draconis for the meantime... Just for a bit more rest and relaxation. Aerrow's handed squad control to Myst for now while he takes a break. I just hope that nothing goes wrong during that time. And I don't mean anything bad by it, but she's been acting...different...lately. _

Kain was holed up in Myst's room, letting his ankle rest as she wrapped it. Aerrow walked in, noticing Kain's injury. "Is everything ok?"

"He has just minor injuries. They'll heal in no time whatsoever." She turned back to Kain. "He just needs some rest." Her focus was now aimed at Aerrow. "What's our next destination?"

"Draconis. We need to get the Condor back, not to mention that all of your stuff is there..." He was leaning against the wall, standing inside her room. "Hey, your name's Kain, right?" He held out his hand. "Aerrow, Sky Knight and leader of the Storm Hawks."

Kain took his hand and shook it with great honor. "Kain...supplemental navigator of the former Black Dragons." His head turned to Myst. "Its been a long time since I was on Draconis, and Myst, I'm sorry about what happened to your squadron..."

"Nah..." She laughed playfully. "Forget about it.


End file.
